Computers 101

Q:
What do those version numbers, like 1.0.1 mean?

A:
To find the version number of a program, just click Help, then find "About..."

Now, let's say we have program with a version number of 6.1.2

The first number (6) represents the "major" version number. Normally these are only updated if there has been lots of major changes to a program.

The next number (1) represents a minor update. Maybe a feature or two was added to the program, but the overall program remained the same.

The third number (2) represents a bug fix. Our example shows that version
6.1 has had 2 bug fixes so far.

That's the gist of it. Some programs use letters rather than numbers, especially for minor update and bug fixes.

Additionally, it's open to interpretation by the programmer (or the marketing department ;-) as to whether the current update constitutes a major version change or just a minor enhancement.

~ Steve

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Tip of the Day

I found a great program that...

I get email all the time from readers who want me to know about freeware and shareware programs that change the status of read only files, turn off XP Messenger Service, display hard drive contents, monitor open processes, and other simple tasks. Of course, we appreciate and encourage reader feedback and recommendations, but I had a few thoughts that I'd like to pass along.

Why install a program to do what can be done manually? The answer is simple—they save time, are mostly easy to use, work with the click of a button, etc.

We want things to be easy. This is the 21st century after all—we have robot pets, genetically altered food, and cars that talk. We love our PCs, but they often cause more problems than they solve.

If we give you a great tip on how to make JPEGs smaller to send in email using a your image editing software, you might decide to make it even easier by downloading a program that does it for you. That's fine, our feelings aren't hurt if there's freeware that can save you time.

Here is my concern: if you download a dozen programs to do things that you can easily do yourself, then you are using up hard drive space. Think of it like this: imagine that you had a chef to cook your food, a person to get you dressed, a chauffeur to drive you around, a gardener to do your lawn, a maid to clean your house, and a mechanic to tune up your car. Sounds great. Now imagine that they all share a three bedroom house with you. Yikes! It's getting crowded in here.

Now do you get my point? Freeware and shareware applications are good, but try not to fill up your system with stuff you don't really need. Also, when you download, save the setup file to disk rather than letting it sit on your hard drive too. If you are running out of space on your hard drive, try removing some of the redundant toys that you downloaded.

There are great applications out there that actually DO make computing easier, I just thought I'd share these thoughts with you.

~ David

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Amanda's Cool Site of the Day

Great Lakes and Seaway Shipping

Do you like boats, ships or boat watching? I like to look at boats so I was drawn to their photo gallery the minute I loaded up the site. The photo gallery is huge! You can see historic, fleet, saltwater, tug photos and there is even a whole lighthouse gallery. I could do a whole segment on these fabulous photos, but there is more to tell you about.

The "Facts and Figures" section is full of fun, and neat facts that will definitely keep your attention. Such as:

Which Vessels have been sold, renamed, or scrapped.
Scanner Frequencies
Cargo Records
Travel Times between Ports

The other major thing I wanted to mention to you guys is the "Information Search". If you are looking for information on the Great Lakes, or Boats this is the place for you. You can post your query and someone will answer it or point you in the right direction. Or you can browse through the topics and maybe help out someone with a question of their own. It’s a nice give-and-take system.

Make sure you flip through the photo galleries though, they are really marvelous.

http://www.boatnerd.com/

Do you have a cool, non-commercial site that you want to share?
Send it to Amanda at amanda@worldstart.com